This is the ginger that is served together with sushi. When shin shōga is in season, it is good to prepare this condiment for use during the coming months.

Ingredients

Shin shōga (新ショウガ / Shin shōga) 200 g
Coarse salt (粗塩/ Arajio) 1/2 tsp

Sweet Vinegar Ingredients
Vinegar (酢/ Su) 100 ml
Water (水 / Mizu) 100 ml
Sugar (砂糖 / Satōh) 50 g
Coarse salt (粗塩/ Arajio) 1 tsp

How to Make

1. Remove the shin shōga stems, by cutting them off at the top of the reddish section of the stems.
2. Use a spoon to scrape off the brown parts of the skin. Leave the red parts
3. Slice the nodules thinly, along the direction of the fibers – this can be done with a slicer. Soak the sliced shin shōga in water for about 10 minutes.
4. Fill a medium-size pot with water and bring it to a boil. Add the sliced shin shōga. Let the water come to a boil again and let it boil for 1 minute. Turn off the heat and use a strainer to drain the sliced shin shōga. (Note: If you are using regular shōga (ginger), instead of shin shōga, letting the pot boil for about three minutes will take the edge off the spiciness of the ginger.)
5. Transfer the shin shōga to a mixing bowl. While the shin shōga is still hot, sprinkle on the 1/2 tsp of coarse salt. Let the shin shōga cool, then squeeze out the water, and place the shin shōga into a bottle.
6. Add the sweet vinegar ingredients to a pot. Bring the pot to a boil, then turn off the heat and pour the sweet vinegar into the bottle with the shin shōga. Cover the bottle and set it aside in a cool dark place for half a day. The vinegar will cause the shin shōga to take on a pinkish tinge. Your shin shōga sweet vinegar gari will keep for half a year in a refrigerator.

How to Select Shin Shōga

Shin shōga is shipped to markets immediately after it is harvested, at the beginning of summer. Select shin shōga by looking at the succulent, red portions of the root and stem. Choose the shin shōga on which these are bright red. Shin shōga differs from regular shōga in that it is not aged; regular shōga is aged before it is sent to market.

 

 

 

Recipe Developed by: Machiko Tateno

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